Sweaters of Gratitude
by Mantyke30
Summary: Norway looked forward to a peaceful spring day with nothing in mind but to relax. His hopes for a break from all the duties of a nation however was rudely disturbed by the insistent poking of a young boy. With a temporary charge to take care of and a greedy Dane to deal with, will he ever get his desired day off? ll Short multi-chapter fic


Hey guys! I just recently finished an rp with someone sharing the same hetalia interest as me in omegle and though it is very hard to find a person willing to just go with the flow on the very first message you send ours has been so adorable I couldn't help but make a short fanfic about it. I eventually had to add more scenes to it but the main gist is there.

This will be a multi-chapter story but I think just around two or three. I'll see how it goes.

Hope you guys will enjoy it ^_^

Remember, Hetalia and its characters are all owned by Hidekaz Himaruya.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Norway looked towards the lake as a cool gentle wind from the snow-capped mountains blew through the meadow where he was laying down. The bright sunlight warms his body through the blue fleece sweater he has on for the day; a break from the usual thick coats and winter wear due to cold weather his country is known for every year. He also had a scarf to protect his neck but kept a matching bonnet inside his pocket in case it ever rained. He picked a good spot near the bank of the lake and checked it briefly for any rocks before settling down on the soft grass.

Butterflies and bees busied themselves with the native flora that had just begun to bloom and released sweet smelling fragrances in the area. Flowers in white, pink, purple and many others popped out of the lush green foliage. Tiny ripples dotted the lake's surface as the marine life subtly made its presence known to the world although there were no boats out to see them. It was a strange yet common sight to see things so peaceful where problems, though present in many places, cannot be sees so easily. Spring really does wonders for the Norwegian.

In fact, other than the beautiful scenery luck was on his side and brought over more perks that day.

No meetings to go to. No annoying Dane to grudgingly entertain. No bosses to meet up with. No obnoxious Dance to listen to. No environmental issues to think about. No seriously annoying Dane to deal with. No boisterous Danish laughter to contend with.

Nothing Danish related at all.

He smiled to himself at the thought, putting his arms behind his neck and closed his eyes. He didn't worry about anything attacking him other than some bird that might decide it was the right time to drop shit on him or somewhere near those lines. He was on his own to enjoy the view. It was one of the things he couldn't get tired of despite seeing it every day. He trained his ears to listen to the breeze, the leaves and faint sounds of life.

Then he heard shuffling nearby. He heard no sound that could be an animal so he shrugged it off as another civilian trying to find a good spot for fishing or on a stroll and kept his eyes closed. Who wouldn't want to go out and take a walk during a beautiful day like this?

The shuffling drew closer and soon he noticed a shadow behind his eyelids that blocked the sun's rays. He ignored it at first, perhaps the other was curious but he frowned when it decided to poke his arm repeatedly. Slightly annoyed, Norway opened his eyes only to stare at two huge green orbs framed with thick eyebrows that are looking down on him. They had a staring match for several moments before the other decided to speak.

"Mummy?" the boy asked.

Norway's eyebrows furrowed. "_Kva_?"

"Mummy!" he whined, a frown gracing his lips.

Norway slowly got up and dusted off his back for any grass that might have stuck to his clothes before turning back to the other person. He was merely a boy around seven or eight wearing a kid sized white polo shirt underneath a blue argyle knit sweater, dark blue pants and brown sneakers. His hair was light brown that curled into ram's horns on the sides and looked fluffy overall. If Norway would stand then he might be just below his hip. He leaned in a bit closer as he inspected the boy's face. The eyes and eyebrows looked so familiar it was creepy. In fact the boy's accent was even more familiar than his features. He was obviously not from around here.

"I am not your mummy." He told him, eventually standing up and checking his jeans if it was clean.

The boy let out another whine and tugged on his sweater. Norway sighed and crouched down to his level. "What do you want? Are you lost?"

He watched as the other tilted his head in confusion. He let out another sigh. Was this boy illiterate?

"Cookie."

He stared at him and continued to do so as the child raised his arms up. "Carry!" he demanded but without force; just a typical childish request. Norway blinked before bending down and carrying him. "I don't have a cookie with me right now though, sorry."

The boy pouted, bloating his cheeks but looked around quietly and completely forgetting about the pastry. Norway looked around as well, hoping to find his mother walking around searching for her son. But then he paused when he felt that gut feeling nations tend to feel when another nation was around. There was no one in the meadow besides him and the boy. Was this child the same as him? How he failed to notice that feeling he wouldn't know. The peace must have caught him off guard.

The boy looked back at him, a smile on his face as he placed his small hands on his cheeks. "Bunny." He said.

"I don't have a bunny either." replied Norway. The pout returned on the young face and poked the older nation on the nose. "Why?" he inquired.

Norway gently took his hand and pushed it away from his face. "Please don't do that. And it would be strange to be bringing around a bunny with me, right?"

He giggled and proceeded to pinch his cheeks, forcing it into a smile. "Name~?"

He shook his head and pushed the small hands away again. "Lukas."

The child smiled as if he was familiar with the name. His hand kept finding their way back onto the Norwegian's face, much to the other's displeasure. "Lu..kas. Noway?"

His eye twitched. He wasn't exactly the patient kind. But hearing his nation's name made him look at the child curiously. A smile appeared on his face and his eyes softened. "Nor-way. NoRway. But yes that's right."

The green orbs shined brightly at the sound of praise. "Mummy an' Norway an' R-Romanria!"

Norway's eyebrows arched. "Romania? You know Romania?" he asked him. Now he was truly curious and his suspicion was confirmed. If the child knew his nation and supposedly Romania then he has seen others like him and the child was also a nation. Judging by the boy's manner of speaking, height and naivety, he can only be a new country or more of a colony of someone.

The other nodded enthusiastically.

"I see… what's your name, _lille gutt_?" he asked while shifting the way he carried him to have a better hold.

He saw the other's forehead crease slightly, mentally scolding himself for speaking to a boy in Norwegian when he clearly had the knowledge that he was an English speaking nation. Understanding the first few words before whatever the older man mentioned, he gave him a wide smile. "Kiwi!" he declared.

"Kiwi, like the brown fruit?"

He young boy stared at him, clueless written all over his face.

"Let's see…I know I've heard of that somewhere else. Kiwi…kiwi…oh! Are you New Zealand?"

Hearing his name, New Zealand nodded even faster. "Uhuh! Aotearoa~!" he yelled. He was looking at the cross shaped pin on his hair and reached out for it, tugging on Norway's hair.

"H-Hey! N-No!" he said, pulling the child away from grabbing another fist full of his hair. "Kiwi? New Zealand? Ao..Ao-te-a-ro-a? You have a lot of names don't you? What does your mummy call you then hm?"

"Kiwi." The child stated simply. He gave him his signature pout and his right hand began to glow a dim blue light. He patted Norway's head, turning his light blond hair hot pink then began to giggle uncontrollably.

"What did you do?..." he asked, giving him a disappointed look while gazing at the pink locks on his face. "Wait…How did you even do that?!" He pointed at his hair while supporting the boy with one arm underneath his behind.

Through fits of giggles the child responded. "Mummy taught me! Colors! Lots and lots!"

Norway chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Who's your mummy?" He had a clue on who it might be but wanted to hear it from the child. So far he was only aware of three people that can conjure magic and he was one of them.

"Mummy Engwand!" came the loud reply before his sweater changed color from blue to neon green.

Norway grimaced and changed them back to their original colors with his own magic. "Engwand? Oh you mean England! I knew it. Though to teach someone as young as you this craft…I wonder what he was thinking. Magic is a dangerous thing and to allow a child to play around with it…"

New Zealand took an interest on his hair, a strange protruding curl specifically and tried to reach for it. Norway turned red and jerked his head back. "No Kiwi don't touch!" he told him. The younger nation blinked but smiled and took hold of his own hair curls, raising them up a bit. "Curls! Like mine!"

Norway smiled back and tapped his nose. "Cute. But don't touch mine okay? It's uh…sensitive."

He giggled again. "Norway play?" he asked.

"Play?" he asked as the child nodded.

New Zealand pointed to an empty space of air behind him still smiling. "Norway play with glowy fwends!" Norway raised an eyebrow and turned around. Sure enough there were a handful of glowing faeries behind him flying about, each emitting a different glow. Their tiny faces showed curiosity and awe as they cooed at the younger nation in his arms. Soon they were fluttering around them.

"You can see them. Well isn't that something!" he told him, reaching out to have a faerie land on his palm and brought it to the child's face where those green eyes widened with wonder. "Mummy's glowy friends!" he said.

Norway laughed and turned all of New Zealand's clothes red. "There." The child squealed with glee and turned Norway's clothes highlighter yellow. The faeries around them let out soft tinkling noises that passed off as laughter as they shielded their eyes. His clothes were awfully bright.

Norway laughed then spaced out for a moment, placing a hand to his lips and flustering. He hasn't laughed like that in a while. He heard a loud growl followed by a whine, taking his attention to look at New Zealand as the child placed his hands on his stomach.

"Are you hungry, Kiwi?" he asked. New Zealand nodded. "Cookies…"

Norway smiled at him fondly. "I can bake you some but then we have to go to my house. We can call your mummy from there." He took off his scarf with one hand and slowly wrapped it around the child and placed his bonnet on his head. Although it was spring it was still cold.

He allowed New Zealand to bid farewell to the faeries before carrying him back to his house but not without showing the child around. He trekked through the meadow and followed the footpath until he found the way that lead back to the city. They passed by multi colored houses by the waterfront, a mistake he regretted as he struggled to keep the child from changing their colors; keeping a safe distance from them. He also had to keep his hands from glowing every time he tried to do so.

New Zealand scanned everything he could see. He pointed in so many things like what kind of pastries was being served to a customer when they passed by a bakery and squealed loudly when he spotted a sheep with its owner walking the opposite direction. Norway soon stopped at a small kiosk to buy him a _skolebrød_ to munch on when he heard another growl, setting him down to get his wallet. When he turned around New Zealand was already talking to a Norwegian boy seated at the next shop.

He gave him the pastry and took him a few tries as New Zealand refused to leave his friend. After coaxing him for ten minutes New Zealand reluctantly waved goodbye to the boy and continued their journey back but Norway allowed him to walk on his own while he ate. Soon they reached a manor not too far from the marina, walking up to a line of trees a few blocks away.

It was a two story structure mostly wood paneled with weather proof coating and numerous windows were placed to let natural light in. A short flight of steps lead up to the white Grecian styled door lined with intricately designed black iron gates. Two chimneys jutted out from the roof for the winter that reminded him to replenish his stock of firewood if the night grew chilly. The manor was fairly small compared to the other nation's homes but it had enough rooms for each of the Nordics in case they had any reason to bother him and needed a place to crash; especially a certain Dane who was drunk more often than not.

Norway unlocked the front door and let the child go inside before he did and closed it. He led New Zealand to the living room and made him sit on the couch and removed the scarf and bonnet and hung them on nearby coat rack. It was warmer inside than it was outside and if he didn't feel like going through the trouble of setting up the fireplace then the central heating system connected to the rooms would do the trick. "Can you wait for me here while I get my things ready? I'll let you help me bake when I'm done." He said.

New Zealand nodded and received a gentle pat on the head before Norway went to the kitchen adjacent to the room he was in. New Zealand got off the couch and curiously went around looking at pictures, touching the soft rug on the floor, poking through thick photo albums and bouncing on the other chairs. He eventually got bored and wandered to the long hallway.

There were a few portraits and paintings on the walls but he ventured further, turning a corner or two until he stopped at the farthest door without heading upstairs. It looked like the ones he just passed but something inside was quietly calling out to him. Strangely enough however the door did not have a doorknob. He placed a hand on the wooden surface and his eyes widened as his hand glowed and hearing a sound like a latch unlocking itself then pushed the door open.

The room didn't look as strange as it did outside. A curved flight of stairs brought him down to the center of the circular room where a large glowing blue circle was carved onto the cemented floor. It continued to radiate on its own and became the source of light with the lack of windows and lamps. Candle holders with half melted candles were propped up on the side.

The walls were painted grey and covered with bookcases chuck full of worn books, oddly shaped rocks with glowing carvings on them in cases and vials of varied shapes and sizes. Some were filled with liquids and even glowed. There was a smaller circular indentation on the floor filled with ash and burnt remains of wood. A pewter cauldron sat on a table with an opened book and more vials.

It was chilly there, New Zealand shivering as he made his way down with only his curiosity urging him. Despite how it was locked the room was surprisingly clean. Dust may have settled on top of the shelves but cobwebs were presumably removed and the books were neatly organized. He stood on tip toes to take a peek at the book but could barely see anything. He tried to drag the book down and pulled but gasped as the cauldron was knocked over and covered his ears as it fell noisily onto the floor.

Norway's head shot up from cracking eggs at the sound of falling metal. His eyes narrowed, washing his hands and removing his apron before checking the living room to find it empty and an album opened on the floor. He returned it to its proper place and immediately turned on his heel back to the hallway, opening every single room he came across before heading to the one where he conducted his magic sessions after finding the rest untouched. Worry wormed its way into his gut when he saw door slightly opened from a few paces away and opened it, making New Zealand jump when he was picking up the metal bowl.

"New Zealand what are you doing here?" he asked, modulating his voice so that his annoyance won't be heard, jogging down the steps and helping him put back the cauldron onto the table. The child looked down in shame, fiddling with his shirt. "N-Nothing…" he muttered. "Mummy has a room like this too...with the glowy circle an' everything!"

Norway sighed and crouched down to his level. "I bet he does. But that doesn't mean you can go in here on your own and definitely without permission. It's not safe for children like you to be here, okay Kiwi?" He told him.

New Zealand looked at him sadly and nodded. "I'm sorry…" he muttered. Norway tilted his chin up and mustered up a smile for him. "Don't be sad you didn't know any better. Now, what were you trying to get earlier?"

The boy let out a soft "eep!" and shook his head. "I-it's okay I don't need it."

Norway raised an eyebrow at him but decided to let it go. New Zealand turned to watch the soft light that emanated from the magic circle, kneeling down to take a closer look. "Mummy has this too but it doesn't glow…only sometimes and he wears a funny cape and plays with a stick." he told him. Norway smiled at the thought of England using a wand of sorts to do magic.

He traced the markings between the middle and outer circles slowly with his fingers. The magic circle glowed brighter and sent out a few sparks. New Zealand flinched when one crackled near him and he stood, backing away. Norway observed it curiously but went to soothe the nervous child. "It's alright those things are normal."

New Zealand trembled and moved away from it. He backed up into one of the book cases and made a few books topple. One flask with a swirling mass inside teetered off the shelf and broke into shards of glass on the floor, releasing the dark matter into the air. He waited for it to dissipate but it swirled in midair and skirted around the room. Norway followed it with his eyes in alarm.

"Kiwi, come here right now!" he called; sending sparks of magic to contain it but kept missing as it zipped past before the spell took effect. New Zealand tried to run towards him but the entity was fast, darting in between them that prevented the child from reaching him.

The entity zipped around the room, a dark aura searching for an exit. It rammed itself into Norway, knocking him over. He grunted when he fell on his butt, glaring at it. He tried to trap him with a spell but the orb dodged it. It cornered New Zealand between two book cases, the child covering in fear as tears appeared in the corners of his eyes.

"L-Lukas!" he cried, whimpering.

"Stay away from him!" demanded Norway, eyes glaring daggers while his hands glowed with powerful magic. The dark entity circled around New Zealand then sped towards the older nation to attack again but he sidestepped, dodging another collision then went to protect the boy. The entity crackled and sizzled as if it was angry and descended onto Kiwi, enveloping him like a dark mist.

The child went rigid; his body shook from the cold that radiated from the dark aura. Norway thought hard for a counter spell then surrounded himself in blue light, channeling his energy to him. He slowly made his way to him and entered the mist; hugging New Zealand's shivering form. He felt the cold rushing to him too, the back of his hair rising and he let out a shaky breath before quickly picking the child up and moved to the center of the magic circle.

Norway muttered a chant under his breath and the circle responded to the magic by glowing brightly. He felt the cold leaving his body and the warmth returning. The mist lifted itself and reverted to its original form of a floating dark mass that tried to escape but found itself trapped within the confines of the magic circle, pushing against the invisible barrier. Norway held New Zealand close with one hand while he used his free hand to blast the dark entity apart with a ball of magic energy, watching its essence break apart and finally disappear.

The light dimmed as he sank to his knees, holding the British colony close. His skin crawled and he made a mental note to check on what he's actually keeping in those glass containers before checking on the boy. New Zealand looked fine but was unconscious in his arms. His breathing was normal and there were no marks or after effects anywhere on his exposed skin.

Norway relaxed slightly and stood, walking up the stairs and locking the door; fortifying the seal with stronger magic to kept even magical outsiders like New Zealand from coming in without his help. He walked down the corridor on the way and passed by a wall mirror. He stopped to stare at their reflection, the young colony in his arms asleep and him looking disheveled.

"What am I doing…?" he thought to himself, looking down on New Zealand.

"What the hell are you doing?" said another voice, making Norway look up to the young man in front of him with his arms crossed. He didn't even hear anyone approach.

"Iceland, when did you get here?" he asked his younger brother.

The puffin on his head crowed.

"And you too Mr. Puffin." he added.

"Just a few minutes ago, the door was unlocked. I made sure it was bolted before I went looking for you. Who's that?" Iceland had an annoyed expression on his face, pointing to the child as he eyed him.

Norway placed a finger to his lips to tell him to be quiet and led him to the living room where the other reluctantly followed. He gently laid down the boy on the couch, placing a pillow under his head then grabbed a stored blanket from the side table's cabinet and draped it over him. He moved them both away to the window before Iceland spoke.

"Now will you tell me?" he asked, slightly jealous that Norway was taking of another child he didn't know of but kept it to himself.

"He's one of England's colonies. I found him, rather he found me, while I was by the lake. He was lost and I told him that I'd help him get home. He fell asleep on the way here." replied Norway, deciding not to share what just happened a while ago.

Iceland nodded. "He has a lot of those. I'm not surprised that he managed to let one wander off. Does he have a name?"

"He has three actually. His nation name is New Zealand. He told me England calls him Kiwi then I think his native name was Ao-something. It's hard to remember that one. England is careless for losing him. He was scared and tried looking for him. I don't know how far he'd gone before he saw me." Norway looked outside with a frown.

"I haven't heard of a nation like that. He must be from the southern hemisphere." Iceland gazed at the sleeping form. "…Can we keep him?"

Norway shrugged. "I don't know… England would obviously want him back. And it's not like he's a lost puppy without an address and a collar, Ice."

Iceland snorted. "If he did then wouldn't we receive calls from him by now? It's not that hard to call everyone. For all you know he isn't even looking for him like most owners."

Norway turned to look at his brother, eyes narrowing. "Stop referring to him as a lost pet. Maybe he's just caught up with something. What are you even trying to say, Ice?"

"Isn't it obvious? Why don't we just go ahead and claim the little guy? He already seems to like you enough. We can teach him the Nordic way… plus I can teach him to call me big brother." He said. "England was careless. Hasn't he heard the saying 'finders keepers?' "

Norway rolled his eyes and went back to check up on him, placing a hand on his forehead and was relieved to feel it was cool. "..Colonies don't work that way, Ice. He's just lost his way in an unfamiliar country. You can't just use his inexperience to trick him into something he doesn't understand."

"Isn't that what scammers do to tourists and what nations do when they want colonies?" Iceland stated simply, cracking a smile.

Norway fell silent as he watched New Zealand sleep. The child curled up and hugged the blanket close to him. "We're not like the rest of them"

"Aren't we? Just admit it Lukas. You want him too. Barely anyone can resist a chance like this." His brother said, walking to his side.

Norway glared at him then shrugged again. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But that doesn't change anything. I made him a promise to help him reunite with England."

"Promises are meant to be broken. If it wasn't meant then it would eventually will be."

"Since when were you this negative, Ice?"

Mr. Puffin flapped his wings and crowed again, flying off his master's head and perched on top of the couch to watch the newcomer.

"I am not being negative, Lukas. I learnt that through experience. You're giving up that promise to give him a better future." he said.

"Stop trying to bait me, Ice. I haven't decided whether I want to anyway!" said Norway as he tried to block his brother's trap.

Iceland smirked. "Oh come on Lukas even Mr. Puffin can read you like an open book. You said it yourself; you want him for your own. I'll be glad to help. What can be more fun than teaching the new kid about our way of life instead of England's? If he becomes a Nordic then we have someone to spy for us in the south. I can get Denmark and the others-"

Norway's eyes hardened and yanked Iceland's collar to him, hissing. "Don't even think about telling Denmark! Are you insane?! Have you forgotten how Denmark was when it came to colonizing others?!"

Iceland's eyes widened as he remembered how scary the Dane was. He felt Norway's grip on his clothes tighten and tremble. He raised his arms up in surrender. "How could I? Fine I won't tell him! Now could you let me go?"

"Forget about telling the other two either!"

A small groan caught their attention as New Zealand stirred, opening his eyes slowly. Norway released him, apologizing as Iceland fixed his clothes while he sat on the couch. "Hey there, Kiwi." He said softly. The New Zealander sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he looked around. "I-Is it gone, Norway?" the child asked, voice shaky.

Iceland raised a questioning eyebrow at Norway but was ignored. "Are you alright? Do you feel better?" he asked him. The child nodded and crawled onto his lap then finally noticed Iceland. "Kia ora." He told him.

Iceland stared at him. Norway chuckled at his confused face. "I think that means Hi in his native tongue, Ice. Go on, talk to him."

New Zealand smiled at him expectantly. Iceland gave him a blank look. "Join the Nordics." He said bluntly.

"You're stupid sometimes, Ice." remarked Norway. The child gave him the same confused look he had earlier.

Iceland shrugged. "What? You told me to talk to him and I did. Join the Nordics we have axes and freeze-your-ass weather every year."

"Not like that, idiot."

"Lukas, I'm hungry." The boy whined.

Iceland grinned at him. "First name basis now huh? What's next, he'll start calling you 'big brother' too?"

"Big brother Lukas!" the boy quipped.

"He learns fast, I like him." commented Iceland

The doorbell rang and a series of loud banging sounds came from the front door just as Norway opened his mouth for a retort. He sighed and lifted New Zealand up from his lap and left him with Iceland to answer it. Iceland felt the awkward atmosphere creep in as he had a staring contest with New Zealand.

Norway walked up to the door as the visitor outside continued to assault his door with his fist and pushing the doorbell repeatedly. He clicked his tongue, annoyed, and took a peek from the peep hole. His blood froze when he saw the grinning face of the person outside.

Denmark.

* * *

><p><strong>(translation)<strong>

Kva – "what" in Norwegian

Liten gutt – "little boy" in Norwegian

Skolebrød – Norwegian pastry that looks like a yummy muffin with icing on top *w*

Hæ – "hello" in Icelandic


End file.
